Foodedo recipe

Welsh Rarebit with Tomato Salad

Name: Welsh Rarebit with Tomato Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 4 slices sourdough bread (or another sturdy crusty loaf, cut 1.5-2 cm thick); 25 g unsalted butter; 20 g plain flour; 100 ml pale ale; 80 ml whole milk (plus 1-2 tsp extra only if needed to loosen the topping); 160 g mature Cheddar (coarsely grated); 2 tsp English mustard; 1 tsp vegetarian Worcestershire-style sauce; 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional); to taste fine salt; to taste black pepper (freshly ground); 300 g ripe tomatoes (cut into wedges or thick slices); 1 red onion (thinly sliced); 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (roughly chopped); 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 tsp red wine vinegar

25 min ·

Thick toast topped with a smooth mustardy Cheddar rarebit and grilled until bubbling, served with a sharp tomato and red onion salad to balance the richness.

Ingredients

16 items

4 slicessourdough breador another sturdy crusty loaf, cut 1.5-2 cm thick
25 gunsalted butter
20 gplain flour
100 mlpale ale
80 mlwhole milkplus 1-2 tsp extra only if needed to loosen the topping
160 gmature Cheddarcoarsely grated
2 tspEnglish mustard
1 tspvegetarian Worcestershire-style sauce
1 pinchcayenne pepperoptional
to tastefine salt
to tasteblack pepperfreshly ground
300 gripe tomatoescut into wedges or thick slices
1red onionthinly sliced
1 tbspflat-leaf parsleyroughly chopped
1 tbspextra virgin olive oil
1 tspred wine vinegar

Recipe notes (2)

Note: Traditional Worcestershire sauce usually contains anchovy, so use a vegetarian Worcestershire-style sauce to keep the dish vegetarian.
Note: Welsh rarebit is best eaten as soon as it comes from the grill, while the topping is still bubbling and the toast stays crisp underneath.

Method

5 steps

Step 1. Put the tomatoes, red onion and parsley in a bowl. Add the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, a small pinch of salt and some black pepper, then toss well. Leave the salad to stand for 10 minutes while you make the rarebit so the tomatoes release a little juice.
Step 2. Heat the grill to high. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to make a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the ale, then the milk, until smooth. Cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the Cheddar, mustard, vegetarian Worcestershire-style sauce, cayenne if using, and a little black pepper until smooth and glossy. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt only if needed.
Step 3. Arrange the bread on a baking tray and toast under the hot grill for 1-2 minutes on the first side, then turn and toast the second side for 1-2 minutes more. You want the bread lightly coloured and dry on the surface, not fully browned. Watch it closely as grills vary.
Step 4. Spread the rarebit mixture thickly over the toasted bread, right to the edges. If the mixture has stiffened too much to spread, stir in 1-2 teaspoons of milk first. Return the tray to the grill for 2-4 minutes, until the topping is bubbling and deeply golden in spots.
Step 5. Toss the tomato salad again and taste for seasoning. Serve the Welsh rarebit straight away with the tomato salad alongside.